Here’s how badly Thunder cooked Austin Reaves in Game 3

It has been a dominant postseason run for the Oklahoma City Thunder so far. The team beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals to remain undefeated in the 2026 playoffs. Things haven’t been as pretty for Austin Reaves thus far. The shooting guard is one of the best players in the NBA, but he entered the postseason hurt. An oblique injury prevented him from playing in the first round until Game 5, and he has really struggled since returning to the fold.

Reaves shot just 36.7% from the field and 16.7% from deep in two first-round games. Excluding a dominant Game 2 performance, he has played poorly in round two as well. Reaves was three-for-16 from the field in Game 1 against the Thunder, and Oklahoma City exposed him on defense in Game 3.

The Thunder made 17 of their 22 field goal attempts when Reaves was the primary defender in Game 3. Oklahoma City’s backcourt includes soon-to-be back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as well as arguably the most underpaid player in the NBA, Ajay Mitchell. The two combined for 47 points, and Cason Wallace added another 16 points in his own right.

The game plan was clear: Attack number 15. That strategy paid off in a big way, and now the Lakers are in danger of being swept. Reaves is a great player, but he isn’t known for his defensive prowess. Rushing back from an injury has done him no favors on the less glamorous end of the court, too. Los Angeles will need Reaves to step up in a big way on defense if the Lakers are to have any chance of becoming the first team in league history to overcome a 3-0 deficit. For the Thunder, the team should continue doing what is working, and that is going straight at Reaves.

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